A slain escort known as a party girl by her “posh friends” told them she was an IT consultant to cover up her double life as a sex worker, a court heard. Christina Abbotts, who went to the polo and “partied a lot” secretly charged £2,000 for her sexual services.

She was beaten around the head 13 times in a brutal attack and strangled, allegedly by a banker dad of two – a regular client.

Zahid Naseem, 47, is accused of the 29-year-old’s murder, at around midnight on her birthday in England.

Lewes Crown Court heard Miss Abbotts, who had dropped out of Oxford Brookes University, told friends and family she was working in IT.

But in reality she was an escort using the pseudonym, Tilly Pexton, advertising her sexual services online.

The court heard she lived the high-life travelling around the world, known by her friends as a party girl who drank heavily and took cocaine. She also attended Royal Ascot, the theatre and polo matches with friends and took her family out for lavish restaurant meals.

The court heard Miss Abbotts had booked the Park Plaza Hotel at County Hall, London for friends on May 25 for her birthday.

But the night before her birthday bash had seen regular client, Naseem, a £250,000-a-year City banker. The pair went to Asda in Crawley, West Sussex where they were seen on CCTV buying alcohol. The court heard they went to her flat for a drug and alcohol-fuelled sex session.

But the court heard that sometime around midday, Naseem bludgeoned her around the head with a kitchen pestle and left her to die on the bed in a pool of her own blood.

When Miss Abbotts failed to turn up at her party her friends became increasingly concerned, trying to get hold of her.

Eventually friend, Roshan Pariag, drove from London to Crawley at 11pm and, when he couldn’t get an answer at the door, he alerted police and two female officers broke into the top-floor flat at 2.30am.

A post mortem later found Miss Abbotts had suffered 13 injuries to her head and compression injuries to her neck “consistent with her being strangled.”

The court heard Naseem, of Amersham, Bucks, was discovered lying on the sofa in the living room where he was said to be feigning semi-consciousness.

He was taken to hospital but was later arrested and charged with her murder which he denies.The trial continues.